I pat my stomach. “Walking is good. I need to burn off some of this baby fat.” I finish with a laugh, but when I look at Trouble, my mirth dies away. He’s not looking at me like he agrees. Nope. If the expression on his face is any indication, he likes me just the way I am. The look sends tendrils of pleasure through me.
I remind myself that it’s stupid to let things like that get to me. It’ll only hurt when the time comes to leave.
“What you call baby fat, I call very appealing womanly curves,” he murmurs.
A blush works its way up my cheeks and heat floods my center. So much for not letting it get to me.
Not smart, Remi. You must fight it!
My eyes flit to Susan, and either she didn’t hear Trouble’s words, or she’s chosen to ignore them.
We bid her goodbye and walk out the door. Once we’re on the sidewalk, Trouble pulls me to a stop.
“Give him to me.”
I raise questioning eyes to him, but he steps forward and holds out his hands.
“You’ve got the diaper bag. I can carry him.”
His fingers wiggle. “I know you can, but I want to.”
Surprise has me carefully handing Elijah over. He cradles my sleeping baby against his massive chest. Looking at him holding my baby does something to me. It fills my chest with things I know I should ignore, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to do. His expression is tender as he stares down at him and tucks part of the blanket closer to his face, so the sun won’t reach his eyes. With the diaper bag slung over his shoulder and Elijah in his arms, I can’t help but liken him to what a father would look like carrying his baby.
Why couldn’t I find this man at a better time in our lives? Why does it have to be now, when neither of us are ready?
I clear my throat and push away my wayward thoughts.
“Last night, you mentioned your brothers. How many do you have?” I ask as we make the short trek to The Hill three blocks away. The temperature isn’t so stifling with the light breeze.
“Three. They aren’t really my brothers. We grew up together, and we’re as close as brothers can be.”
“It must be nice to have so many close friends.” I kick a pebble and it skids across the sidewalk.
“You don’t have any close friends?”
I swallow the lump that’s lodged in my throat. “Yes, Lynn, but… things are tense right now.”
He’s quiet for a moment, and before he can comment on my statement, I ask another question. “Did you grow up here in Malus?”
I peek over at him when he doesn’t say anything. His jaw is tense and his lips form a straight line. Whatever thoughts my question conjured up aren’t happy ones.
“Yes and no,” he answers, a slight hint of anger in his voice. “We grew up in this town, but it wasn’t called Malus back then.”
From the look on his face and the vibes emitting from his body, I shouldn’t ask—I should probably drop the subject—but my mouth opens before I can stop it.
“What was it called before?”
Again, he takes a moment to answer. “Sweet Haven.”
I almost stumble at the name. “Really? That’s such a pretty name. Why did they change it to Malus? Isn’t it a Latin term for Malice?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… It’s just so strange to change it from a pretty name to something so… dark.”
“Not everything is as it appears. Deception can be a bitch with a pretty disguise,” he says cryptically.
His comment leaves me even more curious as we approach The Hill. I want to ask him to explain what he means, but from the hard set of his lips and the stiffness in his shoulders, I don’t think he will. Whatever it is, it’s left a profound stain on his soul. The darkness I’ve sensed surrounding him is deep and eerie. I can feel it right now and it causes goosebumps to rise on my arms.